Chewning v. State
Chewning v. State
Opinion of the Court
Appellant was convicted in the district court of Lamar county of incest, and his punishment fixed at three years in the penitentiary.
“Daniel Compton * * * did * * * carnally know one Laura Griffin, * * * said Laura Griffin then and there being the daughter of Mrs. Sarah Compton, the lawful wife of him, the said Daniel Compton.”
We held in the opinion in that case that the words “then and there” referred as well to the fact that Mrs. Compton was the wife of the accused as that Laura Griffin was then and there her daughter. If Mrs. Chewning was not living, she could not be then and there the wife of Hart Chewning. It was not necessary that the indictment allege that Mrs. Pearle Chewning, the wife of Hart Chewning, was his lawful wife. Bailey v. State, 63 Tex. Cr. R. 584, 141 S. W. 224. The language of the statute makes penal the act of one who carnally knows his wife’s daughter (Pen. Code 1911, art. 486, 487).
“Very sorry we did not get to have the basket supper, wasn’t you, because as you know you and I was going to Paris together and— oh, you know what.”
This disposes of the contentions of appellant as discussed in his brief. We have examined the other bills of exception appearing in the record, and are of opinion that none of them presents any error or raises such question as that its discussion would be of any value.
Finding no error in the record, the judgment of the trial court will be affirmed.
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070rehearing
On Motion for Rehearing.
A review of all the matters to which the motion for rehearing relates would be but a repetition of the original opinion.
On the point made that our conclusion was wrong touching the admissibility of the evidence explaining the words, “oh, you know what,” contained in a letter written by the witness Derrick to the prosecutrix, we are confirmed, by further examination of the subject, in the conclusion heretofore stated. In the case of Ochoa v. State, 87 Tex. Cr. R. 318, 221 S. W. 973, to which appellant refers, the rule applied was that the opinion of the witness to the meaning of a letter was not to be received. In this case, the rule applied is that pertaining to the explanation of an ambiguous statement by the person who made it. As we indicated in the original opinion, we regard the evidence within the terms of article 811 of the Criminal Code, which declares that when a detailed act, declaration, conversation, or writing is given in evidence any other act, declaration, or writing which is necessary to make fully understood or to explain same may be given in evidence. The state, in this case, introduced- a letter containing the declaration mentioned, which obviously refers to some other declaration or transaction previously made. The words, “oh, you know what,” unexplained, may be given many interpretations. The evidence introduced explaining the transaction to which they did refer apparently was properly received in obedience to the command of the statute mentioned. Whether so or not, its admissibility should be upheld on the ground that it explained ambiguous language in the letter introduced by the adverse party. These precedents we deem in point: Cox v. State, 7 Tex. App. 495; Vestal v. State, 3 Tex. App. 648; Stephens v. State, 49 Tex. Cr. R. 489, 93 S. W. 545; Matkins v. State (Tex. Cr. App.) 62 S. W. 911; Hamer v. State, 60 Tex. Cr. R. 341, 131 S. W. 813; Novy v. State, 62 Tex. Cr. R. 492, 138 S. W. 139; Jones v. State, 35 Tex. Cr. R. 565, 34 S. W. 631; Kelley v. State, 43 Tex. Cr. R. 40, 62 S. W. 915. See, also, cases listed in 2 Vernon’s Tex, Crim. Stat. p. 759. The cases cited are illustrative of the rule that an ambiguous writing may be explained by paroles
The motion for rehearing is overruled.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.